The Claiming by Cooper
Chapter 166

288 (Vouchers

Katerina

I'm so excited to be at this year's claiming. Finally, finally, I get to find my mate. I want that person who I can share my life with. I want to be a productive member of the pack, not just my mother's daughter. I'm not foolish. I spent time with Layan. I understand what she went through last year. But things are different this year. Even though we still have a lot of claimants, I get to choose the fifty males that I want in my claiming.

Fifty. That feels like a huge number. But, when I consider that there are nearly 400 claimants this year, it barely touches the surface. I had asked my mother what would happen if I wanted more than 50. She had laughed and said if I wanted more, she was sure they would allow it. The limit was for my protection, after all.

I'm not sure if it's because I come from Alpha blood on my mother's side or, if it's just wishful thinking, but I want to be a Luna. There are four Alphas in this year's claim, and I want one of them. However, there is one that I will not choose to have in my claiming. I need to talk to him beforehand. I need him to understand why I won't choose him.

My mother and I arrive at the claiming before anyone else that is staying in what they call the 'females' housing'. It may have been an accurate description last year, but this year, there will be the three of us, plus the four Lunas, their mates and all of their babies. Thankfully, they are putting us on the opposite side of the house from the babies. While I'm thrilled for the support, I really don't want to be up all night listening to babies crying.

Luna Hana was supposed to be here, but she went into labor early this morning. From what I heard, she insisted that she would be here when Layan went into the claiming territory. I would never bet against one of

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the Lunas. They are a force to be reckoned with and I truly hope that one day soon, I'll be part of that force.

I've barely settled in when I hear a ruckus downstairs. I go out of my room, moving to the stairs and see that Luna Jara, Alpha Mason and their twins are walking in with a huge amount of baby things. Luna Jara looks up and sees me. "Oh, Katerina! How are you?" She asks. She looks winded, frazzled and sweaty.

"I'm good, Luna. Can I help with anything?" I say, noticing that both babies are crying.

"Oh, no thank you, Katerina. Jaxon and Jordan apparently don't like car rides." She says, giving me a look that lets me know her nerves are about shot. "Have you ever driven several hours with what sounds like a dog whistle going off non-stop?" She asks.

I smile, walking down the stairs, picking Jordan up and beginning to coo to her and bounce her as I walk.

"They've already eaten, they're just fussy." She tells me and I grab Jordan's binky and push it in her mouth. She immediately starts suckling on it and quiets down. I pull her little fist to my mouth, nibbling on it while I move to Jaxon, putting his binky in his mouth. Instantly there is quiet.

"Oh sweet goddess above, what magic is this?" Jara says to me.

I laugh and begin singing to Jordan as I walk with her. "I used to help my mom with Sophia." I tell her.

Alpha Mason comes rushing in. "What happened, why is it so quiet?" He asks, looking more frazzled than I've ever seen him. Not that I've spent a lot of time in his pack, but Alphas, in general, tend to be calm and in control at all times.

"Katerina is an angel." Jara says, falling onto the couch in the living room.

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We're just about ready to start getting them to their rooms when Luna Mignon walks in with her mate, Alpha Asher, and their two young babies.

"Hello everyone, I don't mean to be rude, but I need to feed Flavia. Can you tell me where our room is?" Mignon says as Asher comes in carrying a car seat with Gianna in one hand and what looks like a thousand pounds of baby stuff in the other hand.

"I'll show you." I tell her. I turn to Jara. "Luna Jara, I can show you your room as well."

"Perfect. Mason, can you bring all that up? I'll grab Jaxon."

They all follow me up the stairs and I start to put them in their rooms.

"Actually, does it matter what rooms we're in?" Mignon asks, looking at me then at Jara.

"No, I don't think so, why?" I ask.

Mignon shares a knowing smile with Jara. "I want this room." She says and Jara starts laughing.

"And I'll take this room." Jara says, moving to a different room.

"Excellent choice, my love." Mason says, coming in behind her.

I follow them into their room, still carrying Jordan.

"What am I missing?" I ask.

Jara smiles at me. "These were our rooms last year. We all, except Layan of course, have fond memories of these rooms.

"Ahh, well then, I'll leave you to unpack and revisit those memories." I say, smiling at them as I put Jordan down on the blanket that Mason

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spread on the floor. I walk out, pulling the door closed behind me.

As I walk downstairs, I realize, now is as good a time as any to have my conversation my Alpha. I probably should have had it before we left our pack, but I chickened out. Now, my time is running out. He's a good Alpha, and he deserves an explanation.

I walk to the main packhouse, feeling the excitement in the air. The claimants are still arriving and checking in. I go over to Luna Gia, who is here making sure everyone gets settled and that there are no problems.

"Luna Gia, do you know where Alpha Jonas's room is?" I ask.

"I do, but you know that you're not supposed to be fraternizing with any of the claimants this year, right?"

"I do." It was part of the instructions in our documents that arrived a couple weeks ago. We're not supposed to show any favoritism to any of the claimants until we've chosen all of the ones in our claim. However, this isn't showing favoritism, it's just the opposite.

She looks at me for a moment and I'm not sure what she sees in me, she nods and goes to a table, pulling out a notebook.

but

She opens it, looking through it until she finds Alpha Jonas's room number.

"Good luck." She says, then tells me his room number and gives me directions on how to get there.

"Thank you." I say before following the directions and his room.

When I get to the door, I run my hands down my clothes straightening them out before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door.

I'm surprised when it's Beta Elijah that opens the door. "Katerina, what are you doing here?" He asks.

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"Kat?" I hear Alpha Jonas say a moment before he is standing behind Elijah. "Is everything alright?”

I mentally pull up my bootstraps. "Alpha Jonas, might I have a word?"

He looks at me a moment and I see understanding dawn in his eyes. "Of course." He says, moving past Elijah. "Why don't we find a private place to speak." He says, putting his hand on my back and guiding me away from the rooms.

He guides me outside to the stage that is set up for our activities starting tomorrow. When we get to the stage, he takes his hand off my back, but he doesn't turn toward me.

"Alpha...."

"This is about my relationship with your mother, isn't it?"

He turns his head to look at me and when I nod, he turns back, looking out over the claiming territory. "I knew that relationship would bite me in the ass one day." He says, as if to himself.

"I want you to know Alpha Jonas, I have the utmost respect for you, truly I do. You are a great man and an amazing Alpha. Any woman would be lucky to have you." "Except you." He says and now he does turn to face me.

"She's my mother." I say quietly. "I would never not be able to think about that when I was with you. Wondering if you were thinking of her. If I measured up to her..." His finger comes to my lips, quieting me.

"Your mother is an amazing woman. Strong, confident, carefree. But I want my own mate. Someone who will share my life with me. Just me. That is not your mother. Neither she, nor I, want that for her." He looks at me and I feel tears burning in my eyes. "I'm sorry." I whisper.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I can't be someone that you want in your claim. But I understand why you won't choose me. There are other Alphas that would be a good mate to you, and you are strong enough to make someone a great Luna."

I nod, unable to speak.

He takes my face in his hands, gently pulling me to him and kissing the top of my head. "Thank you for your honesty and for letting me know."

He steps back and I think he's about to walk away but he turns back. "Does this mean that you won't choose any male in our pack for your claim?"

I shake my head, looking at the ground. "I can't."

A tear drops from my eyes landing on the grass beneath my feet.

"I understand. We will miss you Katerina. But I hope you won't be a stranger."

I look up at him. I can see the pain in his eyes. "I won't."

He nods, turning and walking back to the main packhouse. I begin making my way back to the females' housing, tears streaming down my face.

I really hope that's the hardest thing I have to do while I'm here.

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